Countdown to Lumberjack Days!

As I type this, it's almost Tuesday...which means we are just four full days away from noTTafarm's second annual Lumberjack Days!  Scott and I have been busy with preparations, and are planning on having a lot of fun no matter how many people arrive or how hot (or rainy or windy or cold) the weather is.  If you can't make it to noTTafarm this weekend, be sure to stay tuned for a full report next week!

Much Ado About Mulch

I could only think of one gift that Scott could buy me to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary in style.  Once again, he came through with the perfect present:  five yards of hardwood mulch!  The giant pile of mulch was delivered to noTTafarm on Friday ~ just in time for the weekend.

Five yards of mulch is enough to cover five 10' x 10' plots, 3 inches deep.  That's a lot of mulch!  

I used the grain scoop to haul the mulch, scoop-by-scoop to the cottonwood flowerbed east of the house.  Luckily, the weather on Saturday (June 2) was absolutely perfect for a day of yard work!

These flowerbeds have been annoying me for almost two years.  

Finally, they were clean enough to cover with a nice blanket of mulch.  I am hoping that the weeds (especially the crab grass and poison ivy) will at least slow their growth a bit. 

After the weeding and the mulching...looking much better!

Tile Saw in Use

While I was slaving away in the heat, lifting a ton (at least!) of mulch by hand, Scott and Carl worked on the bathroom tile project.  No, they're still not done, but the bathroom is looking pretty good! 

Polaris Ranger:  The Official Vehicle of noTTafarm

Scott finally made use of one of his Christmas gifts.  He applied the decals Santa gave him to the Ranger.  Now there's no doubt who's driving around the acreage! 

Stay Tuned for Our Next Adventure!

Fun With the Trail Cam

It had been a month or so since we set up the trail camera, so let's see what a recent evening captured, shall we?

As predicted, Bibbers was the most-frequently photographed animal on the east porch.  He serves as noTTafarm's bouncer, allowing only one guest-at-a-time to approach the food bowl. 

Our buddy Morty made an appearance after dark.

Dang raccoon had to go and show off, standing upright.

Sssstttrrrrreetch!  Good morning, Bibbers!

 Neither rain nor sleet nor hail nor Bibbers shall keep our mailman from delivering a package to the porch.

Friday afternoon conference with Kristin, Scott, and Leo.  It was raining but was it raining enough to call it quits on the yard work we were doing?  Yes...yes, it was.

Bibbers is always ready for his close-up!

You Never Know What We Will See at noTTafarm!

Late May Photos by Scott

It was such a pretty evening Tuesday with cooler temps, low humidity, and no wind (for a change.)  Scott took the telephoto out to see what he could see.

Driveway Deer

Recently, a group of young, skinny deer has been hanging out around the edge of the driveway.  I hope they develop an appetite for the neighbor's thistles!

Little Bird

You ornithologists out there can identify this little guy which Scott called a Nut Hatch.

Beautiful Moon

Smoky Ridge

The house in the distance is the original farmhouse on the land being developed by the Irvington Fire Department.

Grass

Bibbers

What photo shoot would be complete without a picture of our ol' friend?

Stay Tuned for Our Next Adventure!

Showdown

Leo and Bibbers are developing a healthy respect for each other.  They no longer spat or try to attack...mostly, they just sit and stare until one of them gives up.  I'm not sure if there will ever be a "winner" but I'm glad that noTTafarm is home to two orange tabby cats.

Tile Work Continues

Scott spent the majority of his Memorial Day weekend working on the tile in the 1920 bathroom.  Carl stopped by to help Friday and Saturday afternoon which was a big help!   A coat of waterproofing was added to the shower stall (the dark walls at right in the photo) which needed time to dry, so the tiling slowed a bit. Scott is nearly finished placing the field tile around the perimeter of the room.  The challenge of creating the shampoo/soap niches lies ahead this week.

Stay Tuned for More Progress! 

Pretty-fied Porch

Since I am so proud of the newly-rehabbed and cheerfully painted picnic table, I convinced Scott to let me try another project.  We purchased our Adirondack chairs more than five years ago, and their weathered appearance didn't do much to enhance noTTafarm's south-facing porch.

Before. . . 

I chose Sherwin Williams 6875 Gladiola as my inspiration...just the right deep coral tone to contrast the white painted porch and all of the green scenery.

The fun part was getting the color mixed at the store.  Since I used exterior enamel, the tinting was tricky and took about 45 minutes of tweaks until the paint experts were satisfied that I would be a happy customer. 

After a thorough sanding and wipe down, I was ready to paint - this time with the help of a new friend . . .

 Behold the new paint sprayer!

I was smart and selected a sprayer that can handle latex paint (such as the Gladiola enamel) as well as stain.  Perhaps we can utilize the sprayer to help us get all of our woodwork ready and back in the house.

I started with the underside of each piece so I could get used to using the sprayer.  It worked really well, and we are really happy with the overall finish after two coats.

The finished result!

The porch looks very welcoming now - especially with the addition of Boston ferns and a new light fixture.  Such a relaxing spot to sit and enjoy the beauty of noTTafarm.

Stay Tuned for Our Next Adventure!